In the period 2002-03 to 2006-07 the most significant increases in production were for manganese ore (85%), liquefied natural gas (84%) and leucoxene (37%). Iron ore and concentrate, ilmenite, saleable black coal, bauxite and natural gas increased in production by 36%, 25%, 18%, 17% and 12% respectively.

Production of gold, lead, nickel, silver, zinc, brown coal, crude oil and diamonds decreased between 2002-03 and 2006-07, with the largest falls recorded for diamonds (37%), crude oil (20%), silver (15%) and gold (13%).

The largest increases in percentage terms in the value of minerals production in the period 2002-03 to 2006-07 were for manganese ore (306%), copper (233%), nickel (232%), zinc (225%) and lead (153%). The value of salt in percentage terms fell by 10% (table 18.16).

18.16 MINERAL, OIL AND GAS PRODUCTION, Value

2002-03

2003-04

2004-05

2005-06

2006-07

Percentage change from 2002-03 to 2006-07

$m

$m

$m

$m

$m

%

Bauxite

782

817

862

875

847

8.3

Copper (metal content)

2 260

2 543

3 777

6 290

7 525

233.0

Gold (metal content)

5 046

4 731

4 635

5 609

6 284

24.5

Iron ore and concentrate

5 298

5 359

8 330

12 897

15 975

201.5

Lead (metal content)

502

654

830

1 015

1 271

153.2

Nickel (metal content)

2 528

3 139

3 613

3 816

8 402

232.4

Silver (metal content)

490

530

666

801

857

74.9

Uranium oxide

308

382

463

530

664

115.6

Zinc (metal content)

1 778

1 649

1 852

3 484

5 785

225.4

Black coal (saleable)(a)

12 724

11 566

17 720

26 317

24 368

91.5

Brown coal

534

531

843

851

1 016

90.3

Crude oil

7 888

6 721

8 471

10 080

11 416

44.7

Condensate

2 207

1 925

3 101

4 045

3 970

79.9

Natural gas

2 250

2 380

2 445

2 547

2 915

29.6

Liquefied natural gas

3 131

2 776

3 953

4 930

4 986

59.2

Diamonds

788

520

468

np

np

na

Salt

260

211

222

237

234

-10.0

Ilmenite

n.p.

n.p.

n.p.

np

np

np

Synthetic rutile

354

307

401

419

374

5.6

Leucoxene

16

20

22

24

20

25.0

Rutile

np

np

np

np

np

np

Zircon

np

np

np

400

np

na

Manganese ore

275

282

479

478

1 117

306.2

na not available

np not available for publication but included in totals where applicable, unless otherwise indicated

Tables 18.18 and 18.19 show the quantity and value respectively of the main mineral commodities exported from Australia. In 2007-08, black coal (including metallurgical and thermal) was the largest export earner ($24b), followed by iron ore and pellets ($20b), refined gold ($11b), crude oil and other refinery feedstock ($10b), copper ($7b), liquid natural gas (LNG) and alumina ($6b each) and aluminium ($5b).

Graph 18.20 shows the value of Australia's four largest mineral exports during the period 2000-01 to 2007-08. The value of exports of black coal, iron ore and pellets, crude oil and other refinery feedstock and refined gold all grew over this period, with iron ore and pellets recording the largest increase (317%), followed by black coal (126%) and refined gold (123%). Crude oil and other refinery feedstock increased 29% for the same period. The increases for black coal exports in 2000-01, 2004-05 and 2005-06 were due to an increase in unit values of metallurgical and thermal coal exports. The value of black coal exports fell in 2006-07 before growing again in 2007-08, while the export value of crude oil and other refinery feedstock fell to $5b in 2003-04 before growing to reach $10b in 2007-08.

The major markets for Australian mineral and petroleum exports to Japan, China, the Republic of (South) Korea and India for the period 1992-93 to 2007-08 are shown in graph 18.21.

Japan was consistently the main destination for Australian minerals, receiving 25% ($28b) of total mineral exports by value in 2007-08. The main minerals by volume exported to Japan were aluminium, coal, iron ore, crude oil and other refinery feedstock and liquified petroleum gas (LPG). Of these minerals, coal was the most significant. In 2007-08, 67 megatonnes (Mt) of thermal (or steaming) coal, and 25 Mt of both high quality and other metallurgical (or coking) coal were exported to Japan (58%, 30% and 48% respectively of total Australian export volumes for these commodities). In the same year, 2,280 megalitres (ML) of crude oil and other refinery feedstock, 1,587 ML of LPG and 77,310 kilotonnes (kt) of iron ore were also exported to this country. These exports respectively accounted for 14%, 61% and 29% of Australia's total export volumes of crude oil and other refinery feedstock, LPG and iron ore. Aluminium exports to Japan contributed 36% of total Australian exports (by volume) of aluminium in 2007.

Other major export destinations in 2007-08 were China, the Republic of (South) Korea and India. Major exports to the Republic of (South) Korea included iron ore, thermal coal, lead ores and concentrates, refined lead metal and crude oil and other refinery feedstock which accounted for 11%, 16%, 60%, 20% and 23% respectively of export volume totals.

China has become a major export destination for iron ore and zinc ores and concentrates, accounting for 53% and 30% respectively of total export volumes for these commodities in 2007.

Exports to India have been generally increasing since 1992-93, with a sharp increase between 2002-03 and 2003-04 (107%). Gold exports of refined and unrefined bullion to India accounted for 39% (161 tonnes) of Australian exports of gold in 2007, while copper concentrate exports to India in 2007-08 (565,000 tonnes) were 37% of total Australian copper concentrate exports.

Many imported mineral and petroleum commodities have had a certain amount of manufacturing applied to their raw forms. Table 18.22 provides details of the major commodities imported in the period 2004-05 to 2007-08. In terms of value, the largest imports for 2007-08 were for crude oil and other refinery feedstock ($17b), followed by gold ($7b). The major sources of Australian imports of crude oil and other refinery feedstock in 2007-08 were Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia, with a combined value of $14b (52% of the total import quantity for this commodity).

Graph 18.23 shows imports of selected major minerals and petroleum during the period 2001-02 to 2007-08. The value of imports of crude oil and other refinery feedstock were significantly higher than the import values of other minerals, particularly in 2006-07 and 2007-08, where the values of imports of this commodity were $13b and $17b respectively.